


On Wings Of Gold

by DazzleYourMindsEye



Category: RWBY
Genre: Beehaw, F/F, It's a western but with flying horses, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pegasus - Freeform, Rating May Change, Sky Cowboys AU, but with a twist, description of blood and injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23812093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DazzleYourMindsEye/pseuds/DazzleYourMindsEye
Summary: "Wait, you're not a certified pilot?" asked Yang, a note of confusion in her voice. Blake scoffed."I don't need a piece of blue cloth to tell me that Shadow and I can fly circles around you both." The dark haired woman slammed her drink back and set it back on the bar top. "Unless you wanna bet on it, cowgirl?"Yang Xiao Long feels trapped on her family's farm near the quiet town of Patch, teaching her little sister to fly and helping her dad raise and train pegasus. She just did not expect her potential ticket to freedom to come in the form of a beautiful ex-bandit with a stolen treasure map in her pocket.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 64
Kudos: 150





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's a bird! It's a plane! No it's FLYIN' BEEHAWS! A western adventure story with a fantasy twist! The Sky Cowboys world belongs to the wonderful artist who created it, and you can find her at https://skycowboys.tumblr.com/ Go check out her awesome artwork and stories, it's really incredible! If any of y'all aren't familiar with the Sky Cowboys universe, you can check it out at the link above or the official website, at https://www.skycowboys.me/
> 
> Once again thank you all so much for reading and supporting my work in this uncertain time! I hope everyone is staying safe!

Yang blew a lock out of blonde hair out of her face as she stared down at the sun drenched canyon. Eyes trained on Rosy’s form deep in the canyon below as the red pegasus maneuvered through the tight turns, only the slightest bit unsteady as she straightened out. She eyed her sister’s small form atop the mare’s back, red sash streaming out behind her from the wind.

Behind Yang, Bee snorted as she pawed at the short scrubby bushes that grew atop the canyon walls with a shiny black hoof, unimpressed.

“Oh hush up, you’ll be gettin’ your hay when we get back.” Yang didn’t take her eyes off her sister, pulling out a set of small brass binoculars to try and get a closer look.

Rosy’s wing clipped the side of the canyon and the pair wobbled in the air. Yang saw Ruby lean to correct Rosy’s balance, and she couldn’t help her smile. Flying like a veteran pilot already...

Movement from the other side of the canyon drew her attention however, and Yang turned her binoculars away from her sister towards it, already reaching for her rifle leaning against a misshapen rock beside her. Bushcats spooking the pegs was the **last** thing they needed…

But another bold bushcat wasn’t what she saw.

The other side of Crescent Canyon stretched too far away to make out details, but whatever it was was big. Bigger than a bushcat and jet black. It moved erratically across the ground, dust kicking up around it. Moving in tight circles near a small copse of trees.

“What the hell..?” Yang muttered, but as she tried to focus the binoculars Bee suddenly squealed, and dust blew up around her as Rosy and Ruby shot up the side of the cliff, the mare’s wide wings pumping powerfully as the pair came in for a landing. Rosy’s hooves made contact with the dirt a little too hard and she stumbled causing Ruby to almost tumble head first over Rosy’s strong neck. Ruby managed to straighten herself in the saddle at the last second, saving herself from taking a mouthful of sand.

Rosy snorted and shook her head, the full rusty red feather crest on her neck shedding more dust as she gave a full body shake. Ruby pushed her goggles up over her forehead, making her bangs stick up in a manner not unlike her pegasus’s crest and gave her sister a wide excited grin. “Didja see me? Huh? Didja see me?”

“I did.” Yang returned her sister’s smile with a cheeky edge and turned back to peer through her binoculars again. “I saw when you nearly took off poor Rosy’s wing.”

Ruby’s grin turned into a pout and she dismounted, brushing the dust off her loose shirt. “Ah come on! That gust took us by surprise! I corrected it!”

“You gotta be anticipatin’ those things, Rubes. A good pilot is never taken by surprise.”

Ruby frowned as she scratched Rosy between her ears. “You made that up.”

“Nope.” Yang shrugged, still peering through her binoculars. “It’s in the handbook.”

Ruby looked affronted. “There’s no handbook! You’re lyin’!”

“Shh.” Yang shushed her sister, holding up one finger.

“You **did** make that up.” Ruby muttered under her breath and patted the base of Rosy’s neck, who swung her large head around and nuzzled Ruby’s stomach with her beak, cooing in affection. Rosy shook more dust from her wings and trotted off towards Bee, who stretched her neck out to greet the other mare. The two pegasus rubbed beaks and Bee started to groom the younger mare’s wind ruffled mane.

Ruby frowned at her sister. “What’re you lookin’ at anyway?”

“Dunno. Somethin’s kickin’ up a storm on the other side of the canyon.”

Yang held the binoculars out to Ruby. “What’s tha’ look like to you?”

Ruby took the binoculars and peered through them at the black speck on the other side of the canyon. “Huh. Somethin’ big. Wild peg, maybe?”

“If it’s a wildie I don’t wanna mess with it.”

“But wildies aren’t usually alone.” Ruby frowned. “And it’s movin’ too erratically to be a mare guardin’ a nest. Might be a pilot in distress.”

“Hmm.” Yang squinted across the canyon. Without her binoculars whatever it was was little more than a black speck. “I’m still not sure...”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out!” Ruby tossed the binoculars back to Yang (who nearly dropped the **very** **expensive** brass instrument over the side of the cliff as she fumbled to catch), put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Rosy trotted over, pulling to a stop and prancing in place.

“What do you think you’re doin’?” Yang out her hands on her hips and stared her little sister down as Ruby swung a leg up over Rosy’s wing joints, catching the heels of her boots in the stirrups and settling firmly into the saddle.

“I’m gonna go see what’s over there. Maybe it’s someone who needs help!” Ruby didn’t look at her sister as she tugged firmly on various straps, checking the security of Rosy’s tack.

“Not by yourself you ain’t.” Yang crossed her arms and tapped one finger. “You know bandits have been all over the place lately and you ain’t even earned your blue yet.” She gestured to the blue bandanna tied around her upper arm, the official color of certified pilots.

“Then make sure you can keep up, Miss I-Earned-My-Blue-Last-Year-And-Now-I-Have-A-Big-Head-About-It.” Ruby pulled her goggles down over her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her sister.

“Okay, okay fine. You win.” Yang studiously ignored Ruby’s victorious fist pump. “But if things go south we get out immediately, okay?”

“Yup.” Ruby stroked Rosy’s feather mane and winked at her sister. “Whatever you say.”

Yang groaned, but let out a piercing whistle and Bee took her place beside Rosy obediently. Bee’s yellow coat, the color of sunlit wheat, shone in the afternoon light, in direct contrast to her dark legs and beak and raven black feathers.

She extended her dark wing gracefully and Yang used it to vault onto her back, tucking her knees up against Bee’s wing joints. She hooked her boots in the stirrups and tugged on Bee’s harness, checking its security.

“Stay on my flank alright? And listen for my signals.” Yang said. Ruby nodded, noting the seriousness of her older sister’s tone. Yang took a firm hold of the handle in front of the saddle and clicked her tongue twice. Bee tossed her head and pivoted to face the cliff side just as a strong gust of wind curled up over the edge. Yang’s hair blew back at the force of it and she felt Bee’s sides expand as the buckskin pegasus inhaled deeply. She plucked her own set of lightweight goggles from her belt and tugged them over her head, secure against her light lilac eyes.

She clicked her tongue again, and shouted to be heard over the wind, “Bee, uu-UP!”

She felt Bee’s muscles tense beneath the saddle a split second before she took off in a canter straight towards the edge of the canyon wall. Yang whistled again and Bee picked up speed, nearly into a full gallop when she reached the cliff’s edge and leapt into open air.

For a single breath pegasus and pilot hung there, suspended as the wind caught beneath the edges of Bee’s wings. Then slowly, Bee began to tilt forward, down toward the canyon’s floor. Yang felt her stomach lurch as Bee tucked her wings and they started to free fall. She couldn’t help but let out a loud whoop at the exhilaration, throwing one hand over her head with joy. This feeling right here, nothing could compare. Feeling like you and the animal are one with the wind itself.

Bee’s wings snapped open, pulling out of the dive and Yang flattened herself against the mare’s back. A quick glance behind showed Ruby and Rosy pulling out of their own dive and following close on Bee’s starboard side. The two mares turned in unison like a well choreographed dance, easily catching a thermal to rise in a lazy spiral high above Crescent Canyon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright here's chapter 2 everyone! Yang and Ruby have found something interesting while out on a practice flight. What could it be?
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!

Bee’s hooves touched ground on the other side of the canyon with barely a bump and Yang dismounted, a puff of dust kicking up around her heels. Rosy landed seconds behind, managing to keep her footing this time as she slowed to a stop. Ruby pushed her goggles up to her forehead and straightened in the saddle. She shielded her eyes from the sun and said “It’s definitely a peg. Can’t tell from this distance what breed...”

“Stay here, alright?” Yang slung her rifle off from where it was strapped across her back and opened the chamber, sliding a bullet from her belt into place. “If I whistle twice you take off and head straight back to the farm, you hear me?”

“But Yang...”

“Do you hear me?” Yang looked up from her gun to look her sister in the eye. Ruby plopped back down in her saddle sullenly.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Yang pulled her own goggles off to hang around her neck. She set the stock of the rifle against her shoulder but didn’t raise it, and started off toward the dark shape in the distance.

A couple dozen meters ahead the bare sandy dirt changed into dry grass and scrubby bushes. Beneath a distant stand of low trees Yang could see the unmistakable shape of a large black pegasus. It had its head down like it was grazing, but as she got closer it suddenly perked up, clearly catching her scent on the hot dry breeze. Long slender ears and sharply pointed wingtips. A longwing?

Yang lowered the rifle more so it was held loosely but still ready to be raised at the slightest hint of danger. As she crept closer to the skittish animal, she clicked her tongue softly. “Hey there, beautiful. What’re you doin’ all the way out here?”

The pegasus snorted and its ears pivoted to lay flat against its skull. The peg was gorgeous, sleek dark feathers and coat almost shimmering with a metallic shine in the shifting shadows beneath the tree. It was almost all black (a rare color for a longwing) except for a large triangular patch of white in its chest and a white star between its dark eyes. Long and slender, typical of its breed, the peg looked graceful even when standing still. Yang could imagine it probably flew like a dream.

Its neck was bare of any feathers, but with those colors it hardly needed any kind of fancy crest. Yang was now close enough to spot a loose halter and an empty saddle. “Where’s your pilot, eh?”

She was almost to the edge of the furthest the tree’s shadow reached when the pegasus suddenly seemed to decided she was close enough. Its eyes rolled back revealing the white edge and it charged with a loud piercing shriek.

“Whoa whoa!” Yang dropped her rifle and held up both hands. The pegasus skidded to a halt and reared before it plowed into her, wings spreading out wide to reveal its full impressive wingspan – nearly twice that of Bee or Rosy. The peg kicked out with its sharp front hooves in a clear threat before slamming both back down to ground.

“Easy there, easy!” Yang kept her hands up and stood firm despite the swirling dust kicked up by the wind from the peg’s wings. The pegasus mare (Yang got a clear shot of the pegasus’s underbelly when it reared and confirmed it was a mare) pawed anxiously at the dirt and trotted away from the strange human and back toward the base of the tree. A sharp breath close to her ear almost made Yang jump and she looked to see Bee lingering protectively over her shoulder, feather crest puffed up tall in an attempt to look bigger to the strange mare.

“Sorry, sorry, she just got away from me.” Ruby huffed as she jogged up with Rosy’s leadline in hand.

“I thought I told you to stay back.” Yang reached up to stroke Bee’s nose to reassure the protective mare. Bee puffed a breath against her palm.

Ruby frowned and put both hands on her hips. “Yang, it’s been like 15 minutes. If somebody wanted to ambush us it would have happened already.”

“Well, it looks like you were right. This is someone’s lost peg.”

“She’s beautiful.” Ruby’s pale grey eyes shined as she gazed at the dark mare. “Somebody’s gotta be missin’ her I’ll bet.”

“Yeah.” Yang strained to peer over the knee high grass to the shadowy base of the tree. “I think she’s protectin’ somethin’.”

“What?” Ruby shielded her eyes. “Hmm… it **does** look like there’s somethin’ there...”

“Those eyes of yours...” Yang shook her head and gave Bee one last pat on her nose above her beak. “I’m gonna see what it is.”

Yang kept her eye on the dark mare before stepping closer, but the pegasus ignored her. As she got closer the lump at the base of the tree began to take on a more familiar shape.

“Oh no...” Yang whispered.

The body of a woman lay crumpled at the base of the tree. Dressing in a formally white coat now stained heavily with dirt and dark pants. Tan skin, dark hair about shoulder length. Drag marks in the dirt indicated that she’d crawled a short distance before collapsing on her side. She did not appear to be breathing.

The dark mare nickered softly and nudged a limp boot with her beak.

Yang sighed deeply and muttered a prayer to the Brothers under her breath. She crouched down beside the body to get a closer look.

From this angle she could only see the side of the woman’s face, but Yang could tell she was young. Maybe close to her own age. It did not look like she’d been out here for very long, maybe a few hours at most. She spotted a large dark reddish brown stain on the girl’s side and her stomach lurched.

Her gaze drifted up to the dark mare and swallowed against a sudden lump in her throat. The mare looked back at her with liquid brown eyes, as if pleading. A well trained pegasus is undyingly loyal to its pilot. There was no way the mare would willingly leave the body…

“Yang? What is it?”

Yang took a heavy, shaky breath. “Just… just stay there Ruby, alright?”

She gave a sad smile and slowly reached out her hand to the mare and held it there, an invitation. The mare eyed her for a moment then stretched out her muzzle, sniffing. Yang felt the warm puffs of breath against her fingers. She gently stroked the length of the mare’s nose and the pegasus nickered quietly.

“I’m...so sorry, girl. I really am.”

The pegasus pulled away and nudged the girl’s shoulder with her beak again.

But this time, something changed.

The body stirred and Yang heard a faint moan.

She was _alive_.

“Shit!” she exclaimed in a much different tone than before. “RUBY! GET THE CANTEEN!”

Not listening for her sister’s response Yang knelt down closer to the girl’s head, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Miss? Miss can you hear me?”

Another moan, raspy and weak.

Yang slid an arm under the girl’s shoulders and hauled her upright into a sitting position against the bone dry tree trunk, as gentle as she could. The girl slumped against the tree, head lolling against her chest.

Yang heard Ruby’s gasp from behind her and turned to see her sister, canteen in hand, silver eyes wide at the sight.

“Is… is she...” said Ruby quietly.

“Not yet.” Yang indicated for the canteen. “Not if we can help it.”

Ruby passed her the canteen and Yang fumbled to unscrew the lid. She slowly tilted the girl’s head back and put the canteen to her cracked lips.

The first dribble of water spilled down her chin, but the girl started to swallow against the trickle, slowly at first then frantic, grasping weakly at the canteen.

“Whoa whoa, hey. Slow down.” Yang spoke in the same soft tone she used for spooked yearlings as she pulled the canteen away.

The girl coughed and gasped, one hand going around her waist to clutch at the large ruddy stain on her coat. Light brown eyes, almost amber in the light of the afternoon, cracked open and stared at the two faces peering down at her, framed by the blue sky and bare tree branches.

She blinked, seemingly confused. Then the dark pegasus stepped forward and huffed a breath against her temple. A faint smile danced across the girl’s face and she raised an unsteady hand to pat the mare’s cheek.

“We never woulda found you out here if it wasn’t for your peg.” Ruby chirped brightly. “You’ve got a good one there.”

The girl slumped back against the tree, wincing.

“Let me see where you’re hurt...” Yang reached for the edge of the girl’s coat, but she tensed and shrank away from Yang’s hand. Yang caught a flicker of fear in her eyes.

“It’s okay. I just wanna help...” She smiled in a way that she hoped looked non-threatening. “What’s your name?”

The girl eyed her with clear suspicion, saying nothing.

“I’m Yang, and this is my sister Ruby.” Yang pointed with her thumb at Ruby, who gave a cheery wave.

The girl remained stubbornly silent, but her tense shoulders loosened the slightest bit.

Yang sighed and held out the canteen again. “Alright, you don’t gotta tell us your name if you don’t want to, but at least drink some more. Slowly this time, don’t wanna get sick.”

The girl took the canteen after barely a moments hesitation and took several gulps, slower than she did the first time.

“ _Thank you_.” she croaked.

“What happened? What’re you doin’ out here?” Yang shook her head when the girl tried to hand back the canteen. “Keep it. I got more.”

The young woman coughed again. “B-bandits. Tried to rob me. Shot me just as I was gettin’ away.”

“Bandits? Here?” Yang threw a glance to the sky.

“N-no, a couple days flight to the south.” The girl winced when she shifted against the tree.

“You’ve been flyin’ for _days_ like this?!” Ruby gasped.

The girl nodded weakly at her pegasus. “Shadow’s a coastal longwing. Can stay on the wing for a lot longer than that.”

Shadow nickered as if in agreement.

“Thank you for the water.” The girl braced a hand against the tree, as if to try and get up. “But I should be movin’ on.”

“What? You’ve been _shot_.” said Yang in disbelief.

The girl shrugged, then cringed at the movement. “I’ve had worse.”

Yang could see the stubbornness (a little too familiar, if she was being honest) from a mile away. She blew out a frustrated breath and raked her bangs away from her face. “Alright. But if you insist on leavin’ at least let me bandage your wound. You won’t even make it to Vale bleedin’ like that.”

Yang could almost see the gears turning in the girl’s head, turning the offer over and over searching for any sign of deception. Finally she seemed to admit defeat and nodded, slumping back against the tree.

“Ruby, go get the bandages from my saddlebag. Should be in the left pocket. And the other canteen.”

Ruby nodded and jogged away back toward the pegs. Yang watched her go then turned back toward the girl. “Alright, where exactly is the wound? Upper or lower?”

“Lower. By my hip.”

Yang gently tugged back the edge of her coat, revealing a smooth stomach left bare by a cutoff shirt. The wound bled sluggishly, a few inches above her left hip. Just to the right of the wound - on the girl’s stomach – was a dark tattoo. Three black lines, like slash marks from a set of claws, set behind a snarling fanged mouth.

Yang sucked in a sharp breath in recognition. _White Fang_.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This strange woman proves to be quite the enigma to the sisters, and Yang finds herself wanting to know more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright here's chapter 3 everyone! This is a long one (over 2500 words!) and this story keeps getting bigger and bigger! 
> 
> (Bit of a warning for this one, there is a mildly graphic scene of a surgical procedure in this chapter. It's short but if you want to skip it stop at the line "Yang couldn’t help but snort at the other woman’s tone." and continue at "Yang picked up the bloody bullet")
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading and supporting me! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there!

The two young women stared at each other underneath the twisted shadows of the tree’s bare branches for what seemed like years, but in reality was likely only a few seconds. Yang raised her eyes back up to meet the woman’s, her gaze hardening. She opened her mouth to call out to her sister, but stopped.

The woman’s expression was defiant, but the fear in her eyes was no longer just a flicker.

Yang wiped the sweat from her forehead and gave a deep sigh. She leveled another hard look at the woman (the bandit?) and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Look here. I’ll still help you. But that’s my little sister over there, and Brothers help you I **will** leave you out here if she gets hurt. Are we clear?”

The woman’s amber eyes flicked over to Ruby a short distance away digging through the saddlebags, then back up to Yang. A strange look crossed her face, almost like confusion. Then her face went blank, like a mask had slid over it, and she gave a single sharp nod.

“Okay I got the bandages!” Ruby plopped down to her knees beside Yang sending up a puff of dust with a small satchel in her hand. “And all the other stuff!”

“Good. Thanks Rubes.” Yang’s voice was light, not even a hint of a threat in her tone. She took the satchel, barely bigger than her hand, and rummaged through it. “We only got the basics out here, you’re gonna have to hold on to get somethin’ like stitches until we get back to the farm.”

The woman’s face grew pale at the small bottle of alcohol and roll of bandages Yang held in each hand. But her jaw tensed and she gave a jerky nod.

“As long as you give me a sip of that, first.” she rasped, jerking her chin at the alcohol in Yang’s hand.

Yang raised her eyebrow. “My pa’s moonshine ain’t nothin’ to sneeze at.”

The woman shrugged, then winced. “I’ve probably had worse, believe me.”

Yang handed over the bottle after only a moments hesitation, and the woman unscrewed the cap and tossed back a gulp. She coughed raggedly and thrust the bottle at Yang like it was a venomous snake.

“Brothers, what the fuck was that?”

“I warned ya.” Yang tried not to look too smug as she shook a few drops of moonshine out onto a torn strip of bandage before securing the lid.

“That ain’t moonshine.” The woman eyed the bottle like it was a dead rat. “That’s fuckin’ lantern fuel.”

“Well, no germ could survive it, that’s for damn sure. Now take a deep breath. This is gonna sting like hell.”

Without any preamble Yang pressed the alcohol soaked cloth against the woman’s wound. She grunted and squeezed her eyes shut, hissing through her teeth.

Shadow ruffled her wings and pawed at the dry dirt, restless. As if sensing her pegasus’s distress the woman blindly reached up a hand and patted the peg’s beak. “I’m alright girl. Easy...”

The dark mare warbled and nipped at her fingers, long slender ears perked and trained on her pilot.

Yang watched the two interact, her heart softening just a fraction. Surely someone with such a deep bond with their pegasus couldn’t be too bad, right? Even if they **were** wearing the symbol of the most notorious bandit gang within a thousand miles on their skin.

She pulled the alcohol soaked rag away from the wound and exchanged it for a clean pad of folded cloth, securing it in place by wrapping a longer bandage around the woman’s back. She had to lean in close to wrap the bandage securely, and was surprised to find that underneath the dirt, sweat, and blood, the woman smelled… rather nice. Almost like wildflowers.

She leaned back quickly before she could get a better whiff, but it seemed to linger in her nose.

“Alright.” Yang stuffed the bandage roll back in the satchel and closed the flap. “Do ya think you can fly like this? If we guide you? About a thirty minute flight back to the farm...”

The woman patted the bandage, testing its stability. She looked back at Yang. “If you tied me to the saddle, I think so. There’s a length of rope in my saddlebags.”

Yang crouched beside her, pulling the woman’s arm over her shoulder and securing a grip around her waist. Then she **pulled** , the muscles in her back and thighs protesting at the angle. The woman painfully shifted one foot beneath her, then the other, and they both managed to stand – Yang supporting most of the woman’s weight against her side. The woman gasped for breath and Yang spotted more sweat beading on her forehead.

“Alright, slowly now. One foot in front of the other.” Yang’s tone was soft.

Together they took shaky steps toward the dark mare, the woman clinging heavily to Yang’s shoulder.

“It’s Blake, by the way.”

“Huh?” Yang had stopped beside Shadow’s tall form and eyed the saddle, thinking about how she was going to get the woman back up on the mare’s back. The statement made her pause.

“My name.” The woman panted. “It’s Blake.”

“Blake.” Yang gave her a smile. “Nice to meet ya.”

* * *

After a series of trials and errors they somehow managed to help Blake clamor up onto the saddle and secure her to it with rope. She slumped against the mare’s neck, eyes closed and face pale. Yang attached a long lead to Shadow’s halter and secured the other end to Bee’s saddle.

And breathed a sigh of relief when Shadow followed the tug of the lead rope without protest. They would fly low and fast, with Ruby and Rosy bringing up the rear ready to whistle should something go wrong.

Take-off thankfully went off without a hitch. Yang had no idea if Blake was helping give Shadow direction or if the mare was simply following the lead of the other pegs. Shadow’s wingspan was nearly twice that of Bee’s or Rosy’s, and the longwing barely flapped, long thin wings soaring on the desert winds effortlessly. Yang would have stared if she didn’t have to steer Bee in the right direction (although she hardly needed to – the experienced mare knew the way).

When they touched down on the Xiao Long farm grazing meadow, the sun was just barely beginning to hit the edge of the western mountains.

Yang leapt off Bee’s back and darted to Shadow’s side. It looked like Blake had passed out at some point during the flight, but Ruby’s knots had held firm. She swiftly undid the ropes and pulled Blake into her arms.

“Ruby take the pegs to the stable! Don’t have to untack ‘em right now just put them into the stalls! Shadow can go in the spare one! Then bring some water up from the well!”

At Ruby’s nod Yang darted toward the house, Blake’s body limp in her arms.

She shoved the door open with her shoulder and strode into the kitchen, laying Blake on the table. She snatched a worn pillow from the threadbare couch and tucked it under Blake’s head.

Zwei had perked up from his bed at the sound of the door opening and now he wove around her legs, yipping for attention. Yang reached down and absently scratched the farm dog’s ears.

She tossed several logs into the open door of the iron stove and struck flint, throwing sparks and coaxing a fire to life. A groan from the table made her turn to see Blake stirring, tossing her head and moaning.

She stood up from her crouch beside the stove and crossed the room in two long strides. She pulled off a riding glove with her teeth and touched Blake’s forehead with the back of her hand. She frowned. A fever could be lethal with that injury…

The door banged open again and Ruby struggled inside with a heavy bucket, sloshing water over the side. “Whew! Her peg did NOT want to go into a stall! Had to bribe her with apples, and _of course_ Rosy saw me give her some and so she wanted some too and-”

Ruby’s rant cut off when she saw Yang and her eyebrows knitted with worry. “Is she okay?”

“I dunno. I think she has a fever.” Yang took her hand away from Blake’s forehead and began to slowly peel away the bandage. “Start heatin’ some water on the stove alright? And go grab Pa’s tools from his room.”

Ruby only grumbled mildly at following orders, which was a testament to how serious she was taking this.

The wound was big, bigger than it had first looked and still bleeding sluggishly. Yang swallowed down her nerves and gently placed her fingertip on the smooth skin right beside the wound and breathed a sigh of relief at its cool temperature. That meant it wasn’t inflamed.

She bent close, looking for signs of an exit wound on Blake’s back. Nothing. That meant the bullet was still inside… hopefully close to the surface…

“Okay I got ‘em!” Ruby appeared at her side and set Tai’s medical tool kit beside her sister – delicate copper instruments that their father had traded one of their finest yearling colts for. Yang had at first thought it was a waste of money that could have been better spent on winter supplies, but she ended up eating her words one day when Ruby got a long thorn lodged deep in her foot while tending to the brood mares in the fields.

“Is the water heatin’ up?” Yang flipped open the leather satchel and regarded the shiny tools, organized and well cared for. A scalpel, tweezers, an assortment of needles, a spool of animal sinew stitches…

“Yup. Just about boilin’.”

“Good. Throw in some rags. Then come over here and help me hold her down. We gotta get that bullet out.”

Ruby’s face went pale and she swallowed harshly, then seemed to steel herself and nodded, straightening her thin shoulders.

Blake arched off the table at the first probe with the tweezers, gasping like she’d come up for air. Her eyes flew open and she glared at Yang, panting. “Warn me next time before you do that, by the gods.”

“Sorry.” Yang mumbled. “Moonshine’s right next to you, you might want a drink for this. And try to hold still.”

Blake snatched the bottle of moonshine and took a large swig of it, her face twisting in a sharp grimace at the burn. Then she lay back down on the table, her hands gripping the sides with white knuckles. Ruby leaned over to grip Blake’s shoulders like she’d been before Blake had jumped up.

“Alright are you ready?” Yang hovered the tweezers over the wound.

“No, but let’s do it anyway.”

Yang couldn’t help but snort at the other woman’s tone.

She tried to be gentle, but Blake hissed through her teeth and flinched as Yang slowly probed the wound. She hoped against hope that the bullet was close to the surface – otherwise they would really be in trouble.

Her tweezers clicked against something hard and metallic and Yang made a small noise of triumph. She gripped the end of the bullet and eased it out until it finally slid free of Blake’s flesh.

She dropped the bullet into a small wooden bowl with a clunk and pressed a folded cloth tightly against the wound, now bleeding freely.

“Ruby, come around here and put pressure on this.” Ruby left her place by Blake’s head and replaced Yang’s hands with her own.

Yang picked up the bloody bullet and whistled slowly. “Damn. How’re you still alive? This thing could’ve take down a full grown bushcat...”

Blake groaned, her face pale and sweaty. “Sheer dumb luck I guess? _Fuck,_ that hurt...”

“Well, brace yourself, ‘cause it ain’t over.” Yang grabbed the bottle of moonshine and gave the woman a sympathetic frown.

Blake groaned again and thunked her head back down on the thin pillow. “Story of my _fuckin_ ’ life...”

* * *

By the time Yang finally tied off the last sinew stitch and trimmed the excess, Blake had passed out again. She was still pale and her brows knitted together as she muttered in her sleep, but it felt like her fever had broken or at least calmed, and she breathed deeply.

After snugly wrapping the wound with a clean bandage Yang scrubbed her hands in the bucket of water, watching it turn red. She eyed the sleeping woman on the kitchen-turned-operating table. She wore a bandit tattoo, but didn’t seem like a typical bandit. That wound certainly wasn’t self inflicted, and she’d been alone.

_Maybe she’d had a falling out with her gang, or she wanted to leave and they got angry?_

It was true that Yang didn’t have too much personal experience with this particular gang, but she’d heard stories of the White Fang. Some people said that they were former workers in the Schnee family’s silver mines who got fed up with being treated as little more than slaves, and now they sought revenge. Yang had no idea if there was any truth to the rumors, but this woman (more like a girl, really) didn’t seem like a hardened ruthless bandit.

 _Never turn a blind eye to someone you have the capacity to help._ The memory of her mother’s voice sounded so clear, like Yang was back to being a child sitting on Summer’s knee. _Those who have the ability to take action also have the **responsibility** to take action._

Yang sighed as she dried her hands, and peered out the small kitchen window towards the stables. The sun had well and truly sunk behind the ridge, but there was still just barely enough light to see Ruby’s figure, lantern in hand, closing the tall doors and locking them. Yang could even hear a faint whistling, in a tune that just brushed the edges of Yang’s memory.

She pulled the shutters closed and locked them, shutting out the cool night air.

She turned back to the table and lowered her voice. “Alright, let’s get you to a bed.”

Blake, of course, said nothing, but turned her head on the pillow, mumbling something unintelligible.

Yang carefully pulled the woman into her arms and caught another whiff of that wildflower scent, stronger now that they’d cleaned off some of the dirt.

Yang shouldered open the door to her father’s room (empty for now as he’d gone to an auction in Haven) and laid the woman on top of the covers. She pulled off Blake’s stained coat and shirt, but studiously avoided the cloth band that bound her breasts, cheeks flushed.

She removed Blake’s boots and pants, keeping her eyes firmly on her own hands. She darted over to her and Ruby’s shared room to snag one of her own loose sleeping shirts, worn and thin but clean.

Blake stayed unconscious through all of it, only letting out the occasional mumble or noise of discomfort. Yang gently pulled her arms through the shirt, but as she did she couldn’t help but notice a faint bruise on Blake’s left upper arm. It looked older, but not fully healed, and resembled the shape of a hand. Someone had grabbed her, hard.

Yang was surprised at the sheer strength of the anger that rolled through her. A gunshot was one thing, but this was different. More personal.

Someone had to have gotten close to grab her like that, and Yang sensed that it had to have been someone Blake knew or trusted.

Blake mumbled something again, breaking Yang’s thoughts out of their sudden dark cloud.

She touched Blake’s forehead again (trying not to thing about how soft her skin felt) and was pleased to find no trace of a fever.

But her knowledge of wounds told her they weren’t out of the woods yet, and they would have to watch carefully for signs of infection. She pulled the covers over Blake’s sleeping form and tucked the edges in. With her face relaxed in sleep Yang was again struck by how _young_ she looked, probably close to Yang’s own age at seventeen.

She made her way to the doorway, grabbing the lantern from the side table and blowing it out with a single puff of air. With one last look over her shoulder, she quietly closed the door behind her with a muffled click.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 4 everyone! Featuring Yang with cute baby animals!
> 
> Enjoy and thanks for reading! And as always I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

When Yang finally stirred awake the next morning, morning sunlight was streaming in through her and Ruby’s small window. Indicating that she’d slept a lot later than usual. A quick glance over showed Ruby’s bed empty, and Yang sighed while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The clank of pots and pans sounded from outside the door accompanied by the distinctive sound of Ruby’s laugh.

Yang frowned and rolled from her bed to tug on her trousers. She tucked the loose shirt she slept in into the waistband but didn’t bother to tug the suspenders over her shoulders, leaving them to hang at her waist.

Entering the kitchen the first thing she saw was Ruby at the small stove, cracking eggs from their chickens into a pan and chattering away to Blake, seated at the same table where she’d had a bullet pulled from her body barely a few hours ago.

She was nodding along to whatever Ruby was saying, a steaming mug in her hands. Yang just stood in the doorway and blinked at the odd _normal-ness_ of the scene. But nothing about this was normal.

“Oh hey sis! You’re up!” Ruby tossed a few strips of bacon onto the pan where they sizzled loudly. “Blake and I were just talking about wakin’ you! I know how much you hate to miss breakfast!”

“Oh were you?” Yang glanced suspiciously at the woman at the table, who sipped from her mug and avoided her eyes.

“And have you finished your mornin’ chores?” Yang crossed her arms.

“Yup! Everybody’s fed and watered! Blake was a big help!” said Ruby cheerily, poking at the sizzling bacon.

“What?” Yang turned her gaze to Blake, who still avoided looking at her. “You shouldn’t even be out of bed, with that hole in your side!”

Blake mumbled something into her coffee. Ruby had the decency to look sheepish.

“Blake wanted to help, Yang! We were careful!”

“Uh-huh.” Yang finally flopped into a chair, still not fully awake enough to scold her sister like she usually would. She made a grabbing motion with one hand. “Just lemme have my coffee and then I can yell at ya.”

Ruby filled a mug from the pot on the stove and shoved it into Yang’s outstretched hand with a grin. “I’m sure.”

Ruby went back to the stove to slide eggs and bacon onto cracked plates, humming that familiar tune again. Yang felt eyes on her as she took that first sip from her coffee, and glanced over to see Blake watching her. Yang suddenly felt hyper aware of what a hopeless mess her hair was.

Ruby slid a plate stacked high with fried eggs and bacon in front of Blake, who looked down at it somewhat alarmed. “Oh. Uhh… you don’t need to...”

“Nonsense!” Ruby exclaimed sitting down to dig in to her own plate. “You’re a guest!”

“What about me?” Yang stuck her lip out in a pout at her sister.

Ruby stuck her tongue out in response. “Well _some_ of us didn’t sleep in and got their mornin’ chores done early. You can get your _own_ plate!”

Yang grumbled but hauled herself up from her seat to fix her own plate before plopping back down, the chair under her creaking from the movement.

Yang eyed Blake from over the rim of her coffee mug, watching an odd expression cross her face. She slowly picked up her rough-hewn fork to scoop eggs into her mouth. She closed her eyes, almost in reverence.

“Don’t get eggs very often, huh?” said Yang, setting her mug down.

Blake didn’t open her eyes, still savoring. “You could say that.”

“Soo...” said Ruby, her eyes sparkling. “Are you really a _bandit_?”

“ _Ruby!_ ” Yang exclaimed.

“No, no. It’s okay. I guess I _do_ owe you an explanation, given that you saved my life and all...” Blake took another bite of her eggs almost hastily, like she was trying to get one last taste.

“I _was_ a bandit.” Blake began, looking down at the rough table top. “I’m guessin’ that my old gang probably won’t take me back after this. They’re the ones that shot me, after all.” She made a vague gesture toward her side.

“What did you do?” Ruby whispered, wide-eyed like she was a little girl again listening to one of Yang’s stories.

“I…” Blake hesitated, and Yang narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“You…?” she prompted.

Blake sighed and pushed her bangs back. “I took somethin’. Somethin’ that Ad – our leader _really_ wanted to keep. But I couldn’t let him keep it. It was too dangerous.” This last part she lowered her voice, like she was saying it to herself.

“Dangerous?” Yang felt dread start to creep into her stomach again. “Dangerous how?”

Blake’s eyes widened for just a split second, just long enough for Yang to see that flash of fear again. Then it was gone, hidden behind that already familiar mask. “Nothing. It’s not dangerous as long as it stays out of the wrong hands.”

“And how do I know _you_ ain’t the ‘wrong hands’?” Yang abandoned her plate to level her gaze at Blake, her voice low and tense.

Blake met her eyes slowly and kept them there, unblinkingly meeting Yang’s gaze. “You don’t. I guess you’ll have to trust me.”

And, somehow, Yang did.

* * *

Yang tipped the bucket into the feed trough and the weanling foals crowded around it, tiny wings coated in soft white down flapping in excitement. She couldn’t help but smile. The foals were her favorite part, all knobby knees and fluffy feathers. She reached out a hand and one of the more curious ones nipped at her glove, squeaking.

She chuckled and scratched the little colt’s ears and his stubby tail wiggled in circles at the attention. He snorted and shook, small white feathers drifting from his mane. Yang looked at the feathers as they fell slowly toward the dirt floor of the weanling barn with no small amount of disgruntlement. The weanlings would be molting their down soon and growing in their juvenile feathers, then they would really start testing out their wings (even though they were still a long way from fully taking to the air) and the farm would be all but _coated_ in soft white feathers like an early snowfall. She was already anticipating all the _sweeping_...

“Looks like they like you.”

Yang tamped down her surprise and looked to see Blake leaning against the open barn doors, watching her.

“Gods woman, warn a lady before you scare ‘em like that.” Yang waded through the foals towards the pen door, giving a stubborn filly a light pat on the rump to move her out of the way. She closed the pen gate and slid the lock in place before brushing a few stray down feathers off her trousers.

Blake smirked. “I hardly think either you or me count as ‘ladies’”.

“Ouch.” Yang set the empty bucket down beside the foal’s pen. A little dusty grey filly stuck her head in between the irregular slats of the pen to bite on the edges of the bucket.

“Ah ah, let go of that!” Yang tugged the bucket back and the filly trilled in protest. “No, Piper, no.”

“Piper?” Blake had slowly made her way away from the door, obviously trying to disguise how stiffly she moved. Yang gave her a disapproving frown, but Blake just shrugged.

“Yeah.” Yang turned away from the other woman to lean on the side of the pen. “Technically we’re not supposed to name ‘em, we sell ‘em in the spring when they’re big enough to start flyin’ short distances.” The filly called Piper trilled an almost musical high pitched call again and shoved in by the feed trough and Yang smiled. “But sometimes we just can’t help it.”

“I see.” Blake leaned her elbows on the pen beside Yang. Yang could feel her eyes on the side of her face. “Have you named all of them?”

“Most of ‘em.” Yang eagerly began to point out each foal. “That’s Piper, o’course. That little brownish-gold one is Dusty, that black one with the white sock is White Foot -”

“Very creative.”

“Ruby named that one.” Yang laughed. “The brown one’s Bucky -"

At that very moment Bucky squealed and kicked out at Dusty, who trilled and pranced all the way to the other side of the pen, indignant.

“Yeah you can see where he got _that_ name.” Yang chuckled. Blake laughed, and Yang felt her stomach flutter like she’d swallowed an entire bucket of butterflies. It was a very nice sound, she decided.

They watched the foals for a while, not speaking. Yang could feel Blake’s eyes on her, but every time she looked Blake had glanced away.

Finally she sighed. “You can just ask whatever’s on your mind, you know.”

Yang almost felt Blake’s exhale and her tension relax. “I just… don’t understand why you’re doing all this.”

“All what?” Yang finally turned to look at the side of Blake’s face, frowning.

“Why you’re being so nice to me.” Blake shrugged, then winced slightly at the motion and her hand went to her side. “Anyone else would have left me to die at the first sight of my tattoo, or hell, just shot me then and there.” Blake raised her head to look Yang in the eye. “So why didn’t you?”

Yang pursed her lips. “Honestly? You needed help, and I could give it to you. It was that simple.”

“Really?” Blake’s eyebrows furrowed. “In my experience it’s never ‘that simple’. People usually help others because they want something from ‘em.”

“Then you must not know some very good people.” Yang shrugged. “Most folks ‘round here help each other out, regardless of any reward.”

She bent to pick up the bucket and tilted the brim of her hat toward Blake. “Dinner’s in about an hour. Ruby made breakfast so it’s my turn to cook. Wash up beforehand and grab a seat quick, Ruby’s a glutton when it comes to bread.”

She made her way to the door and glanced over her shoulder just before exiting the barn. Blake lingered by the foal pen, staring after Yang with an unreadable expression.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I've been neglecting this fic too much, so here's an extra long chapter for being so patient with my writers block. I hope everyone is staying safe out there, and thank you for reading!

Growing up on a pegasus farm had tuned Yang’s ears to every tiny sound. Potential wild animals or rustlers were a near constant threat if you didn’t live near the larger towns, so the distant sound of the barn door rattling and the distinct trill of disturbed pegs woke her near instantly.

Yang sat up in bed, straining her ears. The pegs had calmed, but after a moment of quiet the barn door rattled again. Across the room Ruby rolled to face the wall, still deeply asleep. Yang crept out of bed and pulled on her trousers, leaving the suspenders to dangle at her waist. She pulled her boots on and retrieved her rifle from its place by the door, hoping to catch whoever was rooting around in their barn by surprise.

The only light that shone down on the farm came from the sliver of moonlight hanging in the starry sky, but it was still enough to see the distinct shape of a pegasus and pilot, making their way silently to the runway on the edge of the farm.

“Blake?” Yang half whispered-half yelled across the yard. Shadow’s distinct long ears perked up in her direction and the human figure started to tug more insistently on the mare’s lead line.

“Blake? What’re you doing?!” Yang swung her rifle across her shoulder and jogged off the deck of the house toward Blake, who came more into view as she got closer.

Blake looked down at her boots stubbornly as Yang approached and gave another half hearted tug on Shadow’s lead, who ignored her pilot and stretched out her neck to greet Yang.

“You were just gonna leave? Without sayin’ anything?” Yang tried to keep the hurt out of her voice as she reached to scratch Shadow’s beak.

Blake refused to raise her eyes from the dirt. “I can’t stay here, Yang.”

“Why not? You’re still hurt, and I’m sure my Pa would be understandin’ if you stayed just for one season. We could use the help -”

“I can’t!” Blake gave another sharp tug on Shadow’s lead and the mare flattened her ears and snapped her beak in displeasure.

“Why?! What’s got you so scared?”

“I’m not scared!” Blake’s amber eyes flashed and she bared her teeth almost in a snarl. But Yang caught the way her gaze kept flicking up to the starry sky, almost like she was looking for something…

Yang threw up her hands in frustration. “Fine then! Just go!”

She hitched her rifle over her shoulder and turned on her heel to march back up to the house, planning on breaking into Tai’s liquor cabinet to try and forget stupid, pretty-eyed ex bandits that smelled like wildflowers…

“Yang, wait.”

_Fuck_. The quiet, pleading voice behind her stopped Yang in her tracks faster than an unruly gelding brought to heel.

When Blake didn’t speak again, Yang turned back to look at her. Her eyes had adjusted to the dim light of the wafer thin moon, and she saw how Blake twisted Shadow’s lead in her hands nervously. All the anger drained out of her, and Yang sighed. She took a few steps closer and crossed both arms.

Blake gulped and finally raised her chin to look Yang in the eye. “Yang… you and your sister have been kinder to me then you had any right to be. Anyone else woulda left me to die in the desert, but you… you helped me anyway. And I’ll always be grateful for that.”

Shadow bumped her head against Blake’s side and nickered, sensing her pilot’s unease. Blake scratched her behind the ears. She heaved a heavy sigh. “Which is why I have to leave.”

Yang opened her mouth to interrupt but Blake shook her head. “No, I do. You and your family have built a life here, a good honest life. You don’t need someone like _me_ coming in and messin’ it up. I’m trouble, Yang.” Blake tugged on the scarf around her neck. “I always have been.”

Those last few words were said quietly, almost in a whisper, like she hadn’t meant to say them out loud. Blake turned away from Yang, adjusting the harness straps on Shadow’s shoulder. An action familiar to Yang, she did those checks before every flight on Bee.

Suddenly the thought of never seeing Blake again seemed unbearable, and Yang strode forward to stand beside Blake. Placing her hand over Blake’s on Shadow’s flank. Lightly, giving her a chance to pull away. A tingle shot up Yang’s arm at the feeling of Blake’s bare skin.

“Please… you don’t have to go.” Yang hated the quiver in her voice.

Blake stared up at Yang, her amber eyes seeming to almost glow in the dark. Yang felt her hand flex minutely under her palm, almost like she was about to turn it to twine with Yang’s own…

“Yes, I do.” Blake said in a shaky whisper, her eyes glistening wetly. She yanked her hand out from under Yang’s and swung up into Shadow’s saddle. Yang took a few steps back to avoid Shadow’s large wing as the mare extended it and tossed her glossy dark head.

Shadow’s dark coat almost disappeared into the night, only the barest hint of a shine off her feathers from the thin moonlight and the sound of wing beats fading into the starry sky.

* * *

Tai arrived sometime in the mid morning, his older gelding kicking up dust as he landed smooth as a river stone. He was in high spirits, his pack bulging with supplies (including a new tin of coffee, which prompted a smile from a subdued Yang).

“I hope you girls did okay on your own out here.” said Tai as he threw a pallet of straw into Firefly’s stall, the gelding descending on the hay like a ravenous wolf.

Yang dragged the brush through Bee’s coat, ignoring her father’s unspoken question. “Everything was fine.”

Bee rolled a dark eye and flicked one ear toward Yang, as if to say _liar_.

Yang grimaced back at her pegasus. Bee had always been uncannily attuned to Yang’s feelings…

“You sure?”

_Dammit_. If there was anyone who knew Bee’s mannerisms almost as well as Yang, it was Tai.

Yang rolled her shoulders to ease the tension, keeping her eyes firmly on the stubborn fleck of mud stuck to the base of Bee’s wing, right where her wheat colored coat smoothly transitioned into black feathers. “Yeah.”

A beat of silence. Yang tried not to squirm under the gaze she could feel burning a hole in the back of her head.

“Alright.”

Yang frowned at the tone in her father’s voice. She’d never been very good at hiding things from him.

She waited until the sound of his boots faded toward the house before dropping her forehead onto Bee’s shoulder. The mare turned her head and nipped at Yang’s shirtsleeve, nickering quietly.

“I can’t believe she just… left.” mumbled Yang. Bee chuffed a breath against her arm. She turned her head on Bee’s shoulder to press her cheek to the mare’s coat, the fine hairs tickling her skin. A dark wing shifted to brush across Yang’s shoulders, a reassuring motion like soothing a nervous foal.

“I know, I know, I didn’t even know her. But I thought...” Yang lifted her head away from Bee’s shoulder to stair out the open doors of the barn, that hint of a cloudless sky stirring an all too familiar feeling in Yang, an urge to just leap onto Bee’s back and fly away into that endless blue. To leave behind this farm that felt like it was shrinking, getting smaller and smaller every year…

Yang heaved a heavy sigh and smiled when she felt Bee’s side expand as the mare copied her. She leaned back off her side, reaching a hand to scratch the pegasus at the top of her withers, between her wings. Bee shivered and her feather crest stood tall in response to the attention.

“You’ve always been a good listener, girl.”

* * *

Ruby, Yang decided, was a _terrible_ liar.

Upon her return to the house after finishing the last of her chores, she found her father, arms crossed and expression stern, standing in the doorway to the kitchen like an immovable wall. Her _traitorous_ sister peeking out from behind his back, a grimace on her face and hands woven together in a pleading motion.

“Yang! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean too! It just came out!” Ruby’s pale eyes got huge and watery, but before Yang could work up a proper glare in return Tai spoke, his voice brokering no argument.

“Ruby, go to your room.”

Ruby’s lip quivered, but she nodded in defeat and slouched away, turning back to make eye contact with Yang and silently mouth _sorry_.

Yang breathed heavily out through her nose as she watched her sister slink away and shut the door to their room. Her eyes flicked back to her father, who’s expression had not changed. “Dad -”

“What the hell were you thinking Yang?” Tai pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

“She needed help! You expect me to just leave her out there to die?!” Yang made a vague gesture in the direction of the canyons, miles away.

Tai slammed his palm on the kitchen table. “No, I expect you to have some level of common sense! She could have robbed us blind, or led her gang back here and burned the farm to the ground! If you’re goin’ to run things here some day -”

“What if I don’t want to ‘run things’ around here?!” The words burned as they slipped out, like coals left smoldering for too long.

Tai’s brows shot to his hairline, and father and daughter stared at each other from across the rough table between them. Silence simmering as it stretched longer and longer. Finally, Tai broke eye contact and slumped as he leaned both hands on the table. Yang felt a tiny flicker of guilt well up inside. Her father had never looked older…

“Look, we’ll talk more about this in the morning, but Yang... I just want you to be more careful. Bandits are never good news.”

_And you would know all about that, wouldn’t you?_ The cruel words almost slipped out from between her teeth like turpentine, but Yang bit them back, clenching her jaw so tight her molars creaked. Instead, she gave a sharp nod and strode past him, keeping her chin high.

As soon as the door to her and Ruby’s bedroom closed behind her Yang slumped against it, chin dropping against her chest. Ruby sat on her bed, looking for all the world like a scolded puppy. Her head popped up as soon as Yang closed the door, tears already welling up in her gray eyes. She scrambled off the bed. “YANG! I’m so sorry, I-”

Yang held up a hand, cutting her off. “It ain’t your fault, Pa could make a squirrel confess where he hid his tree nuts.” She heaved off the door and dragged a hand down her face. “Just give him some time to sleep on it, it’ll be fine.”

Ruby’s lower lip quivered and she threw her arms around Yang, squeezing tight. “I’m still sorry.”

Yang returned the embrace and pressed her cheek to the crown of Ruby’s head. “Yeah, me too.”

* * *

For the second night in a row, Yang found herself jolted awake by the sound of alarmed pegs. But this time the sound was accompanied by a strange heavy smell, and a glowing orange light coming through the curtains. It couldn’t be dawn already…  
  
Suddenly more awake than she’d been in days, Yang threw the covers off and bolted for the window, nearly tearing the curtains in her haste to yank them open.

_Fire_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE UPDATE! Wow has it really been that long? Whelp, better late than never!
> 
> This chapter is a rough one folks, I had a LOT of trouble with the ending. All I can say is I'm sorry for this, ouch.
> 
> Once again I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there, and enjoy!

Fire was strangely beautiful.

It roared like a living beast against the night sky, so bright it lit up the farm like the middle of the day. Orange and red flames hungrily licked at the side and roof of the barn accompanied by the fearful screams of the pegasus trapped inside.

Something slammed into Yang’s side, jolting her out of her shock. Ruby bolted past her toward the burning barn closely followed by Tai. As he passed Tai seized Yang’s arm to tug her along, shouting something, but Yang felt like her ears were stuffed with cotton. His words were lost to the wind.

Finally a familiar scream reached her ears through the pounding of her ears.

Bee!

“Ruby! Start hauling water from the pond! We need to stop it from spreading!” Finally her father’s words registered, snapping like twine. “Yang! You and me need to get the pegs out!”

Tai thrust a bandana into her hands, yelling above the flames to tie it across her face to keep smoke out and bolted towards the barn doors, Yang close on his heels.

The heat from the fire seared her skin and the metal bolt on the door was almost too hot to the touch, but Yang and Tai managed to force the door open. Inside the barn fire licked at the north wall and upper corner, stored hay and feed catching like kindling from the sparks. Yang darted to the first stall flipping the lock and shoving the door with her shoulder.

Firefly reared, wings pumping and ears pinned back in fear. Yang spotted a flash of white as his dark eye rolled in terror.

“Come on, come on!” No time for a gentle voice, Yang leapt across the stall space to seize his halter and drag him toward the open stall door. Firefly dug his front hooves in and snapped his beak.

“Fucking hell, come on!” Another fruitless tug, and Yang ripped off her outer shirt and looped it over his eyes.

Firefly shrieked but obeyed, taking several shaky steps toward the open door. As soon as she reached the larger barn door Yang whipped her shirt off his face and slammed a hand down on his rump. The gelding squealed but took off at a fast clip to the safety of the open field.

Pivoting on her heel Yang was about to dart back into the smoke when the shape of her father emerged, leading Rosy and Bee by their halters. His own bandana and jacket thrown over their eyes.

As soon as he cleared the barn doors Tai released the pegs and collapsed to his knees, chest heaving in harsh coughs. Yang dropped beside him and pounded a fist on his back.

“T-the brood mares are in their – _cough_ – paddock?” Tai wheezed out.

“Yeah!” Yang wheezed, her own lungs stinging from the smoke. “I let them out earlier myself.”

Tai pointed toward the mares paddock, across the field. “Go check on ‘em. I’m gonna go back to the house to call for help.”

Yang gave a sharp nod and took off toward the mares paddock. She passed Ruby tossing another bucket of water on the roof of a storage shed near the barn’s side to dampen it.

Ruby shouted something, but Yang couldn’t make out the words as she sprinted by. Coming up on the mares paddock, she spotted several dark shapes crowded at the far end of the paddock.

The brood mares perked their ears toward her as Yang approached. The mares shuffled and whinnied nervously, wings rustling.

“Easy girls, easy.” Yang easily hopped the fence and held out a hand.

The boldest mare, Daisy, approached first and snuffled into her hand. Yang scratched her beak and let out a huff of relief. The mares were safe at least.

Daisy’s ears perked and she looked past Yang, nostrils flared. In her dark liquid eyes, Yang spotted an orange reflection.

She whipped her head around just in time to watch another fire roar to life at the smaller barn. Strangely, there were dark figures silhouetted against the flames, like people.

Dread leapt into her throat. The foals!

Yang bolted away from the mares, vaulting back over the fence and sprinting toward the weanling barn. The smoky air burned her eyes and lungs and tears streamed down her cheeks, making her vision blurry.

“HEY!” she shouted as she got closer. The dark shadows around the barn scattered and she spotted one raise their arm with a familiar shape in their hand.

A bullet burned across her upper arm and Yang reeled to take shelter behind a wagon. Her hand flew to her arm and came away bloody.

“Son of a -” Yang growled, fiercely regretting leaving her rifle in the house.

Yang was now close enough to hear the shouts of unfamiliar men, unable to make out words behind the roar of the barn fire. She slowly leaned around a wagon wheel to peer toward the barn.

The fire lit up the shape of the man who had shot at her, now making his way slowly toward her.

“Didja get ‘er?!” another man yelled across the yard.

“Ah think so...” the gunman shouted back. Yang carefully watched his boots approach through the spokes of the wagon wheel. Just a little closer…

_Now._

Yang pushed off from the ground and bodily slammed into the gunman sending them both to the ground in a struggling heap.

Yang threw a punch and her fist glanced off the man’s cheekbone. She brought her elbow down on his, feeling the joint crack.

The man shouted and landed a punch in Yang’s gut. Her already burning lungs wheezed and the gunman took her distraction as opportunity and kicked out, catching her hip and sending Yang thudding onto her back.

She lay there stunned for a second before the vision of the starry sky disappeared and she was staring at the face of a very angry bandit. Her dazed brain took note of a dark tattoo on his neck before the bandit’s hand closed around her throat.

“You bitch!” he snarled and his sweaty fingers tightened.

Yang’s body suddenly took notice of its air supply being cut off and panic welled up in her chest. Yang thrashed against the bandits grip, scrabbling at his fingers around her throat.

Blackness crept in around the edges of her sight. Slowly her thrashing grew weaker, weaker…

Suddenly the weight on top of her jerked and went limp. The tight bands across her throat loosened and Yang desperately pulled air into her lungs. The bandit’s body on top of her fell to the side, and there was Blake, a snarl on her lips and a long sturdy piece of wood in her hands.

Blake dropped the stick and yanked Yang to her feet. Yang could see her lips moving but her ears rang, and she stared at the other woman in shock.

“- from my camp on the ridge!” Finally Blake’s shouting bled past the ringing in Yang’s ears, and she followed Blake’s pointing finger to the distant dark shape of Cutter’s Ridge, barely visible against the lightening skyline. “Thought you might need some help!”

Yang clamped a hand onto Blake’s shoulder and wheezed for breath. “T-thanks.”

“What’d you need?” Blake shouted against the roaring flames.

A high-pitched scream from the burning barn at their backs brought the world into sharp focus and Yang swore. “Shit! The foals! We need to get the foals out!”

A flicker of fear crossed Blake’s face and she followed Yang at a sprint to the barn doors. Together they shoved open the door with their shoulders.

The fire had spread nearly to the pen and the foals huddled in a cluster shrieking in panic. A dark limp shape on the ground sent Yang’s heart into her throat…

She reached the pen before Blake and without thinking gripped the metal lock – then yanked her hand back with a yelp. The smoke burned and her hand stung – Yang clutched it tight to her chest and blinked through the haze.

She saw Blake yank a piece of cloth from her pocket and jerk the lock open. The foals scrambled for the open pen door and Blake stumbled to the side to avoid the small stampede. But Yang didn’t take her eyes off the shape laying entirely too still on the ground. She lurched to her feet, ignoring Blake tugging on the back of her undershirt. Her hand throbbed but Yang pulled the small body into her arms and stumbled nearly blind for the barn door. Only Blake’s hand clamped tight onto her forearm kept her upright.

The blessedly cool night felt like heaven on her burning skin and Yang fell to her knees in the dirt, gasping and heaving for clean air. The tiny gray foal in her arms tumbled limp to the ground.

“YANG!” she heard Ruby shout as if from a very far distance, then a gasp – much closer this time. A cold nose touched her hairline as Zwei sniffed her frantically.

Yang wiped the tears from her cheeks and gestured to the foal. “It’s Piper. Gotta – _cough_ – clear her airway.”

Ruby took the small foal in her arms and started to rub her tiny chest, hard and fast. She took Piper’s beak in her fist and blew two short breaths into it, one after the other before resuming her frantic rubbing.

Yang watched Ruby work, the lump in her throat growing bigger and bigger. Blake knelt beside her and rubbed the heel of her palm between Yang’s shoulder blades.

“Come on, _come on_ , Piper. You can do it.” Ruby muttered. She blew two more breaths into Piper’s nostrils and the tiny foal stirred. Piper’s chest shook with effort and she started kicking her hooves. Ruby breathed a deep sigh of relief and helped the filly to her feet.

Piper sneezed and peeped. Yang folded her head into her hands, still sucking in clean air like it was water out in the desert.

Eventually she raised her head. “Ruby? Go round up the other foals, we’ll put them in with the mares for now.”

Ruby nodded and Yang thought she spotted tears in her eyes before she stood and gently herded a still wheezing Piper along with her.

Yang turned to Blake and narrowed her eyes. “Who were those men?”

Blake hung her head. “If you have to ask you already know.”

Yang squeezed her eyes shut. “ _Shit._ ”

They sat in silence for a moment, the heat of the burning barn at their backs and the roar of the flames the only noise.

Yang finally broke the silence. “Are they gone?”

Blake sighed. “Yes. I don’t think they were trying to stick around. It’s strange… It’s almost like they were trying to cause a diversion. But I don’t know what -”

“A diversion?” Yang looked up and turned to Blake and opened her mouth to ask what she meant, but was cut off by a loud sound in the darkness. A gunshot, almost like it came from the house...

Yang lurched to her feet and sprinted toward the house, a scream on the edge of her lips. “PA!”

The coming dawn provided just enough light to spot the door hanging crooked as Yang approached the house. Shoving the door open with her shoulder, Yang stood in the threshold with panic burning in her throat. “Pa?! Dad?!”

Silence.

Yang barely heard Blake’s running footsteps coming up behind her before she bolted into the house. Leaping over the overturned kitchen table, kicking open her father’s bedroom door, where the old radio sat in the corner.

_There_. A brown jacket, a head of blonde hair…

Without thinking Yang ran inside and skidded to her knees beside her father, seizing his shoulder and rolling him over onto his back. Tai groaned.

“Dad? Pa?” Yang choked out. The front of his chest was damp with something dark, and Yang reached out to touch it with a shaking hand.

Tai reached up to weakly grasp her wrist before she could. He coughed wetly. “Y-Yang...”

“Shh, just be still, don’t talk.”

Tai’ s breaths rattled and he squeezed Yang’s wrist. “N-no. Gotta tell you…”

“You can tell me later.” Yang forced her voice to be still and she yanked the ruffled blanket off the bed and pressed it tight against her father’s chest. Blood quickly soaked through the thin cloth.

Her eyesight grew blurry and her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Smoke inhalation and panic made her breath burn and her hands shake. No, no, _no…_

“Yang, Y-Yang, it’s okay...”

“NO!” she snapped, glaring at Tai. “You’re gonna be fine. You hear me?!”

Tai only shook his head. Something dark trickled down the corner of his mouth. He reached up a hand, shaking.

Yang abandoned the soaked cloth and clutched it tight. “D-dad?”

“Y-Yang. Take care of Ruby...”

“I will. But you’re gonna be there too.” Yang didn’t care one bit that she sounded like a small child pleading for comfort. “Ruby needs you.”

“No.” Tai chuckled quietly and shook his head. “Ruby’s...like her mom. Strong. She d-doesn’t need me.”

“What about me?!” Yang tried to choke down the anger but it rose up in her like a flame. “What if _**I**_ need you?”

“Y-you’re like… _your_ mom.” Tai moved his hand slowly to gently touch Yang’s cheek.

“M-my mom?” Yang blinked back tears in confusion. “B-but I thought...”

“D-don’t be too harsh on her, okay? She l-loved you. I kn-know she did.” Tai just smiled that _awful_ smile, and Yang wanted to shake him, to _plead_ with him, to beg to whatever god was listening that this wasn’t _happening…_

Tai let out a single breath, then he was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang struggles to control her anger, and we find out just what Blake has been hiding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *emerges from the fog* I LIIIIIIIIVE
> 
> Goooood day to all my lovely readers! I've been in a bit of a funk these last few weeks that included a rough bout of illness (no worries, I'm fine) that took a lot out of me energy wise, but I'm ready to get back into the swing of things! Still working on my submission for the Bumblbee Big Bang, and that is going to take up more and more of my time in the coming weeks, but I haven't forgotten any of you! 
> 
> You are all welcome to come yell at me on my tumblr if you want haha
> 
> As always I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there, and enjoy!

Yang picked at a loose thread on her glove, watching the faded leather wrinkle with each tug.

“Tai was an incredibly valued member of this community. His absence will be felt for a long time.”

She tugged harder on the thread, twisting and untwisting it between her fingertips.

Mayor Port coughed and straightened his cuffs. “Please, if there is anything you girls need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, sir.” Yang didn’t look up from her glove, voice barely above a whisper, hoarse from smoke and grief. “Could you give us a minute?”

Port blinked and his mustache quivered. “Oh of course, of course. I’m sure you and Ruby and your… guest have much to discuss. You’re welcome to my office.”

“Thank you, mayor.”

Mayor Port gave a short nod and turned to exit, but not before extending a hand to give her a firm pat on the shoulder. Yang fought the unwelcome urge to shrug it off. Mayor Port was a short, gruff man of few words, but he’d always been a friend to the Xiao Long-Rose household – Yang remembered his visits when she was barely taller than her father’s knee…

A sharp pain pulsed in her chest at the thought of Tai. Her breath caught in her throat and she glanced over at Ruby. Her sister sat in a puffy chair, curled in the same position she’d been in for the last hour, hunched over with her face buried in Zwei’s scruff. Blake leaned against the desk beside her, one hand rubbing small circles on Ruby’s shoulder. Ruby did not appear to acknowledge her.

As soon as the door to Mayor Port’s fancy office (well, fancy for Patch’s standards) clicked shut, Yang straightened and glared with as much strength as she could at the ex-bandit. She was sure the effect was ruined by her red rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks, but Blake winced back all the same. Yang pushed down the small flicker of guilt that managed to break through the storm clouds of grief and seized onto the faint sparks of anger. “I think… we are owed an explanation.”

Blake blanched and looked down at her dusty boots against the plush rug. “Yang -”

“And don’t you tell me anything about it being ‘too dangerous’ or some bullshit. My _father_ is _dead_.”

Ruby gave a single muffled sob from her chair. Yang swallowed the lump in her throat. “So don’t you tell me what is or isn’t _dangerous_.”

Blake’s mouth twisted and her shoulders hunched further. She took her hand off Ruby’s back and twisted her fingers together. “You’re right.”

Blake straightened and began to pace, slowly back and forth in small circles. “The White Fang attacked your farm because they were looking for me.”

“No shit.” Yang hissed under her breath, making Blake flinch.

“I stole something important from their leader, and he wants it back.” Blake blinked, her gaze turning far away. “And Adam won’t hesitate to hunt me down, regardless of what gets in his way. This entire town could be in danger the longer I stay, now that he knows I’m here.”

“Adam.” White hot rage rolled up into Yang’s burning throat. “That’s the leader?”

“Yes.” Blake’s hand almost subconsciously rose up to touch the bruise on her upper arm, a move that did not go unnoticed by Yang. “He’s insane. I stole the letters because things could go very badly if I didn’t.”

“Letters?” Ruby lifted her head from Zwei’s fur, her voice rusty. Zwei whined and licked her cheek. “What letters?”

Blake took a breath, then leaned down to one knee to start unlacing her boot. She pulled out a slender leather satchel, then gently peeled it open, revealing several yellowed and worn papers. “These.”

She held them out and Yang plucked the satchel from her hand, ruffling a thumb through the paper.

“Careful,” Blake murmured. “Those are old.”

With slightly more care Yang pinched one of the papers and pulled it from the rest. Weathered and stained, the material felt like it would crumble beneath her finger tips with the slightest pressure. Looped, elegant handwriting filled nearly the entire page, faded but still legible.

“Nine letters,” Blake began. “Written between a Professor Ozpin and a General James Ironwood. Adam and I found them in a hidden compartment inside a broken desk at an abandoned schoolhouse we were holed up in for the night. At first they seemed worthless, but...” Blake shook her head. “Then I started reading.”

Yang scanned the faded words in her hand. “What exactly did they say?”

Blake’s brow furrowed. “You know the story of the Witch’s Mine, don’t you?”

Yang blinked. “Uh… yeah. Everyone knows that one. But it’s just a story, meant to scare kids away from playing in old mine shafts.”

“Yang told me that one once.” Ruby whispered, gently taking the letter from Yang’s hand to stare down at it. “A powerful alchemist tries to recreate the elements in crystal form – instead she unlocks the secret to immortality, but at a terrible price. Shunned by the community, she flees to an abandoned mine where she could continue her experiments in isolation, creating unholy beasts and monsters to aide in guarding her secrets.” Ruby shuddered a little. “It scared me so bad I had nightmares for weeks. Yang didn’t tell it to me again after that.”

Blake pulled the rest of the papers from their protective leather satchel, carefully thumbing through them and nodding. “According to the professor and the general, that story is true.”

A beat of silence.

“You’re _joking_.”

Yang’s voice cracked like a whip in the sudden quiet.

Blake winced. “I’m afraid not. That story is true, and more.” She set the stack of papers on the mayor’s large oak desk gingerly. “According to this professor, the alchemist’s name was Salem, and not only did she unlock the secrets to eternal life, she really did discover how to recreate the elements in crystal form – the professor refers to it as _Dust_.”

“That’s…” Yang shook her head. “ _Insane._ These letters are dated to nearly one hundred years ago - they could be the ramblings of madmen for all you know.”

Blake looked at her sharply. “That’s what I thought too, at first. But these letters weren’t the only thing we found in that desk.”

She picked up the empty satchel and slipped a finger gingerly down into a hidden pocket, pulling out a small object about the size of her thumb, wrapped in cloth. She unwrapped it with care and held it up between her thumb and forefinger.

The crystal caught the light and Yang couldn’t help but gasp. Glowing like a live ember, the crystal seemed to flicker between orange and red as Blake turned it back and forth.

Blake gestured for her hand and Yang held out her palm. With the same amount of care she would have if she was holding a hissing snake Blake placed the crystal in her palm.

Yang immediately felt its warmth through the thin material of her glove, too warm to simply be residual heat from Blake’s own skin. She turned it carefully. It almost looked like the inside of the crystal was giving off its own light source, glowing from within.

“This – this is -”

“Dust.” Blake said quietly. “Fire Dust, specifically. The professor refers to it in his third letter. There were two crystals, but...” Blake grimaced. “One of our members dropped it on accident and...” She made a gesture with both hands, simulating a large explosion. “Boom.”

Yang was suddenly way less enthusiastic about the fire crystal in her hand.

“It _exploded_?” Ruby sniffled, eyes wide.

Blake nodded, solemn. “Took out a wall and two of our members. Sure convinced me.”

Yang tried not to make it look like she wanted this fire crystal as far from her as possible when she gingerly handed it back to Blake who hastily wrapped it back up. “That still doesn’t prove that the Witch’s Mine is a real place.”

Blake shrugged. “No it doesn’t. But that doesn’t matter to Adam… he wants more Dust. And if he gets his hands on an unlimited supply of it, let alone the faintest possibility of the secret to immortality...” Blake visibly shivered. “Let’s just say that would be _bad_.”

Silence fell like a solid weight in the small office.

Yang pulled in a long breath through her nose and pinched the skin between her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. Grief sat like a living beast in her breast and anger burned in her gut, an anger that _simmered_ low and hot. Anger not directed towards the woman who watched her warily from across the room, but squarely pointed toward the man who carelessly took a life in pursuit of a _fairy tale_.

“Where is Adam now?” Yang watched her sister turn the letter in her hands this way and that without really seeing her.

When Blake didn’t answer immediately, Yang looked up at her. Blake stared back, and Yang almost couldn’t stand the look of understanding in her amber eyes.

“Yang. I know what you’re thinking...”

“Do you?” Yang didn’t hold back the bite in her voice.

But Blake didn’t pull back. “Yes I do. I’m gonna tell you that it is a _terrible_ idea.”

Yang curled her lip, but didn’t respond.

Blake took a step closer, one hand raised slightly as if frozen in the act of taking Yang’s. “Adam and the White Fang are not _anything_ to be messed with, please. I would know that, better than anyone.”

Blake’s hand drifted back down to her hip, where a hint of a pale bandage and a dark tattoo could be seen past the edge of her coat. Yang took in a sharp breath.

“You can’t go after them.” Blake pleaded. “Please, think of Ruby.”

“Huh?” Ruby lifted her head from where she was tracing a half-moon shaped stain on the back of the paper in her hand that strangely resembled the edge of a coffee cup. “Why are we thinking of me?”

“I _am_ thinking of Ruby.” Yang hissed through clenched teeth and tightened her hands into fists. “I’m thinking about how both of us now have to live _without a father_ because of that – _that_...”

A soft touch to the back of her clenched hands made her pause. Blake had stepped closer and reached out to touch her with gentle fingertips. Her eyes bored into Yang’s. “I know, Yang. Believe me, I know.”

Yang inhaled slowly, because something in those amber depths said that this woman _did_ know – knew _exactly_ what Yang was feeling at that moment.

Blake held her gaze for a long moment, still touching the back of Yang’s hand with the lightest of pressure. The firey anger in her chest retreated, but didn’t die – fading to a dull but present burn.

She glanced over at Ruby, watching them both with wide eyes and a furrow in her brow. Yang pulled in a breath through her nose, then out through her mouth. “Sorry.” She muttered, finally looking down and away.

Blake wordlessly shook her head. Then sighed deeply. “Don’t be. I’ve been where you are, and trust me, that path isn’t worth it.”

Yang nodded. “Okay.”

Blake tightened her mouth but returned the gesture, turning back to the desk to carefully gather the papers. “The sooner I leave the sooner you guys will be left in peace.”

The denial stuck in Yang’s throat.

“Where will you go?” Ruby still held the last letter in hand, flipping it over to look a the back. “You said this Adam guy will just keep following you, right?”

Blake hesitated. “Well, my initial plan was to try and find this mine or Dust source before he did and see if I could destroy it, but now...”

“And how were you gonna do that?” Ruby said, tracing the coffee cup stain again with a light finger. “Is there a map or something?”

Blake made a small noise of frustration. “That’s just it. Neither the general or the professor say anything about where this supposed mine is located. The professor mentions a map and a key but not even a hint of where it could be.” Blake leaned against the desk beside Ruby and Yang caught the way she winced at the movement.

Ruby frowned, and tilted the paper in her hands again, before staring up at a large hand drawn map of the local area posted above Mayor Port’s large filing cabinet. Then back down to the paper. “Yang? What does this stain look like to you?”

“Hmm?” Yang took the offered letter and stared at the half-moon crescent stain that resembled the rim of a coffee or tea cup. “It looks like… someone left their drink sittin’ for too long?”

Ruby narrowed her eyes and stood from her chair, setting Zwei on the floor, who whined at the loss of his comfortable seat. She gently took the rest of the folded papers from Blake and knelt down on the floor. Taking the papers, she slowly began to arrange them face down into a larger square, murmuring softly to herself.

Yang and Blake glanced at each other. Blake raised her eyebrows and Yang just shrugged in response.

Finally after several minutes of shuffling and rearranging, Ruby say back on her heels with a huff. She twisted around to put her hands on her hips and grin at Blake. “There’s your map.”

Blake’s eyes widened and she knelt on the floor beside Ruby, closely followed by Yang. Ruby proudly pointed to the crescent shaped stain in the corner. “See it now? I thought that stain looked familiar. It’s Crescent Canyon. And there’s the Emerald River...” Ruby traced her finger up, following a faint line of discoloration. “This little splotch is Patch, there’s Beacon and Vale further to the west...”

Slowly what looked like ink blotches, patches of discoloration and stains came together to form rivers, lakes, towns and canyons. A sprawling map spread out before them, cleverly disguised as nothing more than flaws.

“I’ll be _damned_...” Blake whispered in awe. “It was right here all along.”

Yang gave a low whistle. “Rubes, you’re a _genius_.”

“You’re just figurin’ that out now?” Ruby chuckled with only a little of her previous melancholy.

Blake stared at the map, tracing with her eyes the lines and marks that now seemed so obvious, then frowned slightly. “But we still don’t have the key. Without it all this is nothing more than a pretty wall decoration.” She gestured to the decorative map mounted on the wall.

“Well, what do the general and the professor have to say about this _key_?” said Yang, gently tapping the closest letter for emphasis.

Blake’s brows furrowed. “Well, it is a physical object, than I know. Something you look through, likely made of glass.” She picked up one of the letters to flip it back over, as if the answers would spring from the faded letters. “The professor says that he sent it to the general for safe keeping and the general indicates he received it, but nothing specific about the object itself. Probably on purpose to keep anyone from figuring out how to read the map.”

“And where is the general from? Any hint of where it was headed?”

Ruby made a humming noise from the floor, scratching Zwei’s ears in thought. “I remember there being a mention of an Ironwood in one of Mama’s old books. He was an old war general for the Atlas army way back when.”

“Think it’s the same one?” Yang stood up from the floor and rubbed her sore knees.

Blake began to pick up the papers and shuffle them together with care. “It has to be. I’ve never heard of any other Ironwood.”

Yang stretched both arms over her head and heard one shoulder give a satisfying pop. “Well, Atlas it is then.”

Blake blinked up from the letters. “What? You’re not coming with me -”

“Yes, I am.” Yang glared. “If there’s an opportunity to mess up that bastard Adam’s plans and keep somethin’ dangerous out of his hands, then I’m in.”

“Me too!” Ruby stood up quickly. “I’m coming too.”

“No you’re not.” Yang turned her glare on her sister. “Someone’s gotta stay behind and look after the farm and the pegs.”

Ruby shrugged. “Penny can do that, she’s been itchin’ to help out for ages.”

“Ruby… this is gonna be dangerous.” Yang emphasized. “You’re fifteen and ain’t even earned your pilot’s certification yet.”

Ruby’s jaw stuck out stubbornly. “You’re not that much older than me, and you’re always sayin’ a good pilot has got to take initiative. Well, this is me, takin’ initiative.”

Yang blinked at her sister, then frowned. She opened her mouth to object, but Ruby cut her off. “Save it, you know I’m just going to follow you anyway. I’m coming, and that’s that.” Something small but fierce flickered to life in her silver eyes. “He was my dad too, you know.”

Yang sighed heavily and looked at Blake. “It looks like you’ve got two new flyin’ companions.”

Blake’s eyes flickered back and forth between the two young women, then her shoulders slumped. “There’s nothing I can say that will persuade either of you, is there?”

“Nope.” chirped Ruby. Yang just shook her head.

Blake gave them both a helpless look, then slipped the now closed and secured leather satchel back into her boot and tied it tightly closed. “Alright. Atlas it is then.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well my dear readers, I'll admit I made myself cry with this one. This one is mostly filler before we get to the main story, but I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> As always, stay safe and stay healthy out there everyone!

“And may his eternal soul rest forever with the Eldest Brother in his kingdom of light. Amen.”

“Amen.” The small crowd murmured. Yang stared at the sparse ground and squeezed Ruby’s small body when she felt it shudder once again.

It was a nice day for this kind of thing, she supposed. That sky a cloudless blue, not too hot, the breeze gentle as it rustled the leaves of the white ash tree stretching over their heads, perched on its little hill on the edge of the farm.

Ruby squeezed her back. Yang swallowed back a suspicious lump in her throat.

She blinked back the burn of tears in her eyes and glanced away from the brand new gravestone and freshly churned earth out to the rest of the farm. For a while now it seemed like it had been shrinking around her, or maybe staying the same while she grew.

But now it seemed so empty. Too big, without her father’s warm presence filling it up. The burned husk of both the larger barn – still halfway standing – and what was left of the weanling barn, now nothing more than charred sticks stood out like beacons, ugly black marks upon rolling green and dusty brown.

Ruby sniffled, and Yang looked back down at her sister, tucked into her side like she wasn’t just shy of sixteen, like they were both kids again and Yang was telling her another story with a blanket over their heads and hushing giggles behind hands so they wouldn’t wake up their parents in the next room.

She pressed a kiss to her sister’s temple and squeezed her eyes shut. She had no more tears left to cry.

The ember of anger that burned somewhere in her chest still simmered, whispered that this was all a waste of time, that she should have been in the air already and hunting down the people that did this.

But her sister’s presence held her down like an anchor, and Yang clung to that stabilizing energy like a lifeline.

The priest closed his book and bowed his head, the people around them – a scattering of locals from Patch who knew her father and a few of his business partners who had been in town to attend – returned his gesture. A silent plea of mercy to the Youngest Brother, a plea to allow her fathers soul to pass without struggle into the realm of light.

Yang knew that neither of the gods cared, otherwise they wouldn’t have allowed this to happen in the first place.

Her eyes were drawn to a dark figure on the edge of the crowd, close enough to be respectful but still distinctly apart.

Blake had her head bowed along with the priest. At first, she’d been reluctant to attend but still insisted on staying for the service and delaying their departure to Atlas by a day. Until Yang insisted she come.

Sometimes she seemed to catch Blake looking at her out of the corner of her eye with subtle wariness, like she was waiting for something.

Yang couldn’t blame her. She felt like she’d shatter in the lightest breeze.

Slowly, people began to make their way back down the hill, several stopping and murmuring condolences in quiet voices. Mayor Port squeezed her shoulder again as he passed and gave her a gruff nod.

He was the only mourner Yang mustered a smile for.

Finally she and Ruby were left alone under the tree. Her eyes traced her father’s name, carved with a caring hand onto granite.

_Taiyang Xiao Long_

_Beloved Father and Treasured Friend_

_A Spark That Will Never Fade_

Yang slid her eyes to the almost identical gravestone beside it. The words upon it were slightly more worn from wind and sun, but still clearly legible.

_Summer Rose_

_Loving Mother and Noble Soul_

_A Light That Will Never Die_

Ruby pulled away slightly to stand straighter, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. Yang didn’t bother to scold her.

“Do you think Pa’s with Ma now?” Ruby spoke quietly, her voice surprisingly steady.

Yang swallowed harshly against the ever present lump in her throat. “I’m sure he is.”

Ruby looked at her, the silver of her irises turning shiny with unshed tears. She looked back at the gravestones, and gently ducked out from under Yang’s arm to take a few steps forward.

In one hand, she held a sparse bundle of slightly wilted wildflowers from the grazing meadow. With care she divided the flowers into two smaller bundles and placed them with near reverence on the fresh dirt of Tai’s grave, then on the overgrown grass of Summer’s.

“H-hey ma. I know it’s been a while, since I last visited.” Ruby slowly knelt down onto the grass and folded her hands in her lap.

Yang drifted to a small distance away, close enough to see her sister’s small form in the grass but far enough for her words to be no more than a murmur.

“You’re not going to join her?”

Blake stepped up beside her, keeping her own voice low.

Yang shoved her hands into her pockets. “This… this has always been Ruby’s thing more than mine. She… she likes to think they can hear her.”

Yang could feel Blake’s gaze burning into the side of her face. “You don’t think the same?”

Yang shrugged with forced casualness. “I dunno. I’ve always been more of a practical girl. Why get caught up in thinking about questions that don’t have answers when what really matters is the here and now?”

Blake hummed. “That’s an interestin’ way of thinking.”

Yang shrugged again. “I suppose.”

They both stood in silence for a good while, until they both saw Ruby stand beneath the ash tree and slowly make her way towards them. They both noticed the tear tracks on her cheeks but neither said a word.

Ruby didn’t tuck herself against Yang’s side again, but took her hand and held it with an almost too tight grip as they slowly made their way back down the hill.

* * *

Yang reached up to scratch Firefly’s ears at the top of his crest. The gelding leaned into her hand and cooed.

“I’m sorry boy. I really am.” Yang choked slightly. Firefly met her gaze with liquid brown eyes tinged with sadness.

A pegasus is undyingly loyal to their pilot. Firefly would never accept a rider on his back again.

Yang reached down and slid open the gate lock, slapping a palm onto Firefly’s rump. The gelding snorted and trotted into the paddock, toward the two mares grazing in the far corner. Their two oldest mares, too old to brood or fly for long distances. Scruffy feathers and dull coats, Goldie and Storm would be good companions to Firefly for the rest of his days.

“Don’t worry, Yang. I’ll take good care of him.” Penny chirped from her perch beside the gate. Normally Penny’s seemingly boundless cheerfulness would manage to bring a smile to her face, but Yang couldn’t muster more than a tilt of her hat.

“Thank you Penny, for doing this.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble.” The girl hopped off the fence with a smile. “Maybe I’ll finally convince you to hire me on permanently.”

Yang did smile at that. “You know? Maybe you will.”

A whistle drew her attention to the grazing meadow, where the black shape of Shadow was easily seen against the green grass. Beside the mare stood Rosy, nosing at the longwing’s side. Shadow snorted in Rosy’s ears and the red mare squealed, shaking her crest.

Ruby tugged on Rosy’s halter to settle her, then waved an arm above her head at Yang.

Yang sighed and picked up the bag at her feet. “Well, I guess that’s it.”

Penny tilted her head. “Are you really going all the way to Atlas?”

“Yeah. Just to… sort a few things out.”

Penny frowned, but nodded. “Alright. Don’t take too long, okay? The foals will miss you.”

Yang gave a faint smile at that. “I’m sure they will. I dunno when we’ll be back...”

Penny shook her head – cheerful smile fading slightly for the first time. “Take all the time you need.”

Yang tilted her hat again and turned away, before the burning in her eyes got to be too much.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeehaawww everybody!
> 
> So I know I promised an update to Color Of The Night buuuuut the chapter is being a misbehaving child right now so surprise Wings update! We're dipping a little more into the Sky Cowboys Universe with this one, so I had fun with it lol.
> 
> Enjoy!

“I ain’t keen on crossing a crevasse this time of year either, but -”

“ _But_ if we don’t it’ll add nearly a day to our travel time, a day we can’t afford.”

Yang glared at Blake across the map (a normal one, the treasure map still tucked safely into the bandit’s left boot). “Those winds over the crevasse are a death trap, we could drop outta the sky like stones.”

Blake crossed her arms and glared back, matching Yang’s stubborness. “We’ll have to risk it. We have to cross it at some point anyway, it’s not like we can go _around_ a crevasse.”

Yang’s frown deepened and she glanced away from Blake’s hard amber eyes to watch her sister, crouched beside the spring gurgling up from the canyon floor. After a day of hard flight they were all exhausted, the pegs bustling to drink from the spring nearly as soon as they landed. Blake knew this was here, tucked away within a narrow canyon and citing it as a common stop off for passing pilots. The evidence of that was all around them – hard flattened dirt from years of boots and hooves, an abandoned dusty firepit, broken canteens and rusty cans strewn across the area.

The pegs had gathered beside the stream flowing away from the spring, ruffling feathers and shaking dusty wings. As she watched, Shadow waded into the water until she was knee deep, head lowered. Blake showed no concern for her tack getting wet.

“Look, I know you’re worried about your sister, but we don’t have any other choice.” Blake’s voice dropped to a softer tone. “I have experience crossing crevasses… I can guide us.”

Yang’s frown softened slightly, but didn’t disappear. “Ruby is a talented pilot, but still a novice and Rosy isn’t fully grown yet. I’m a little more than _worried._ ”

Blake sighed, her shoulders slumping, and Yang was suddenly forcefully reminded that she was barely Yang’s age. “I know. But we have no choice.”

Yang looked back to watch her sister again, who was just finishing up filling the canteens by the looks if it. A sudden commotion by the stream made her jump, but it was just Shadow, who had plunged her lean dark head into the flowing water like a striking snake. A shiny fish wriggled in her beak, and the mare gulped it down head first.

“Fine, we’ll do it.” Yang didn’t hide her displeasure, but she could see Blake’s logic. “I ain’t happy about it, but we’ll do it.”

Blake’s shoulders relaxed, and she gave a small relieved smile. “Thank you.”

Yang looked away, trying and failing to ignore the sudden fluttering in her stomach. “You’re welcome.”

* * *

They camped for the night, waiting for high noon of the next day – the hottest part of the day and when the thermals were strongest, said Blake.

“The more altitude we can get the better.” Blake raised her hand to indicate height. “We can get above the worst of the wild winds closer to the crevasse.”

Ruby nodded with wide eyes, hanging onto Blake’s every word. Yang sat a short distance away, sewing a stubborn button back onto her jacket and occasionally reaching up to give Bee a scratch on the chin whenever the mare started huffing into her hair.

“Lots of pilots know to be aware of downdrafts, which can suck a pegasus outta the sky like that.” Blake snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. She reached down to pick up a short stick, starting to draw in the dirt near her feet. “But not a lot know that _updrafts_ can be just as dangerous.”

Ruby’s grey eyes grew impossibly wider. “Really?”

Blake nodded seriously, but Yang caught a faint glimmer of amusement in her eye. “Really. A strong updraft catches the edge of a wing? Suddenly both you and peg are spinning out of control. Or worse, you get too much altitude too fast and you’re a target for a passing silverfish _._ ”

At this, Yang snorted, loud enough to be heard above the crackling fire. “Silverfish aren’t real.”

Blake raised her chin, recognizing Yang’s words for the challenge they were. “Silverfish are absolutely real. Rare, but real as the dirt beneath our boots.”

Yang met Blake’s gaze and put down her sewing. “Silverfish are just a story. A warning, for pilots who fly too reckless.”

Blake’s eyes glittered, and Yang had to remember how to breath. “Really? Well out of all of us here, which one do you think has actually _seen_ one?”

Ruby gave a small gasp. “You’ve seen a _silverfish_?”

Blake didn’t bother to hide her smirk. “Sure have. Clear as daylight.”

“Whoaah.” Ruby said in awe. “What did it look like?”

“Like nothing you’ve ever seen.” Blake dropped her voice dramatically. “Almost invisible against the sky, rippling like a river had decided to grow wings. So long you couldn’t see the end of it – I ain’t never seen something so big in my life.”

Yang raised an eyebrow skeptically but Ruby whistled slowly. “Wow. I heard that no one has seen a silverfish and lived to tell about it.”

Blake smirked and leaned back against Shadow’s folded wing. The dark mare merely twitched an ear in her direction in response. “Most don’t. Silverfish hunt by plunging out of the sky from high above, higher than any peg can reach. They don’t usually target pegasus, but they will if they have an opportunity. That’s why it’s better to fly in a group – you’re less of a target that way.”

Yang rolled her eyes, but picked her sewing back up. “That’s just common sense. Don’t need no stories of giant peg-eating kites to tell me that.”

Blake glared at her from across the fire, but there was no bite to it. “Well you better pray to the gods that you don’t ever see one. ‘Cause if you do…” She clapped her hands together like snapping jaws. Ruby jumped and yelped.

“Alright, alright. That’s enough stories, we need to get some sleep.” Yang tugged the last stitch tight and bit it off with her teeth. “Who’s taking first watch?”

“I will.” Blake shrugged. “Can’t sleep anyway.”

“Hm? Why not? Is your side bothering you?” Yang looked at Blake a little closer, scrutinizing for any signs of discomfort.

Blake shrugged again, and her eyes drifted to the starlit sky. “No, just… lots on my mind."

Yang frowned and stared for a few more moments, then sighed. “Alright. Wake me in a few hours okay? I’ll take the next shift.”

Blake nodded, but didn’t take her eyes off the stars.

* * *

Yang woke a few hours later, a rock digging uncomfortably into her side through her thin bedroll. Grumbling, she shifted away from the sharp point, cracking her eyes open. The fire still crackled, burning low. Ruby snored across from her, chin tucked into her blanket.

Yang slowly sat up and stretched – one hand searching for that damn rock. Stars still scattered the sky, indicating that dawn was a while off yet.

A low scratching noise drew her eye to Blake, seated cross legged beside a dozing Shadow. The bandit held a small brown book in her lap, and she sketched loosely in its pages. She looked up at the sound of Yang stirring and raised an eyebrow.

“You can sleep a little more if you want.” Blake murmured, keeping her voice low.

“Eh, I’m awake anyway. What’re you drawing?”

Blake shrugged instead of answering, tucking her pencil among the pages and closing her book. “You good to take watch?”

“Yeah.” Yang shifted up onto her knees. “ _After_ I take a look at your side.”

Blake stiffened. “I told you. I’m fine.”

“Blake.” Yang kept her voice low, but firm. “Please.”

Blake pulled in a long slow breath through her nose. “Fine.”

Blake shifted to the side and Yang moved to join her, kneeling in the dust. Blake moved aside her coat and rolled her shirt up to her ribs. In the dim light of the fire the black White Fang tattoo was hard to make out against Blake’s own dark skin tone. Without thinking Yang placed a smooth fingertip on Blake’s warm skin beside the stitches, checking for fever or swelling.

Blake sucked in a sharp breath at her touch, and Yang snatched back her hand like it was on fire.

“Sorry.” She muttered, glad for the dark to hide her flush.

“S’okay.” Blake whispered, keeping her eyes down. “Just caught me off guard that’s all.”

“Does it hurt? And don’t lie, I mean it.” Yang forced a small smile to try and ease some of the awkwardness, but by the way Blake eyed her ruefully it didn’t work.

“No.”

Yang just looked at her.

Blake frowned and looked away. “Maybe sometimes. When I move too much.”

Yang sighed, recognizing that now familiar stubborn expression. “Just be careful. Don’t pull a stitch, or you’ll have to answer to me.”

The corner of Blake’s mouth twitched. “Really? Gonna sic your sister on me?”

Yang glanced over at Ruby, still asleep and oblivious to their conversation. “I might. She has one hell of a pout...”

Blake finally chuckled, and Yang couldn’t help but grin at the sound.

“Okay. Get some sleep. I’ll wake you in a couple hours.” Yang lightly brushed Blake’s shoulder with her own for emphasis.

Blake rolled her eyes, but relented. “Okay Doc.”

* * *

There was none of that playful cheeriness the next day.

“We’re sticking to a half-v formation, riding each others slipstreams.” Blake sketched in the dirt, using small x’s to designate their positions. “I’ll take point because of Shadow’s longer wingspan. Ruby, you and Rosy stay in the middle while Yang takes up the rear.”

Ruby wrinkled her nose. “Why am I in the middle?”

Yang tugged Bee’s harness tight. “So I can keep an eye on you. And because Bee is more maneuverable in the air, so I can move faster if you need help.”

Ruby’s grumpy expression didn’t waver, but she nodded.

Crevasses weren’t uncommon, they cut the landscape apart like broken pottery. Some only a few meters across, some so wide the other side was barely visible if you stood on their edge. Gouging so deep into the earth the bottom (if there was one) was shrouded by darkness and an impenetrable mist. The winds above these chasms were rough at the best of times, deadly at worst. So much so that even experienced pilots would hesitate to traverse the largest ones alone. There was a medium sized chasm near Patch that Yang had practiced with, but the crevasse that clawed open the desert ahead made that one look like a shallow scratch in comparison.

Pitch black and yawning like an open maw, it was visible even leagues away, a dark line against the pale browns and yellows of the land.

“Are we ready?” Blake heaved up onto Shadow’s back with barely a wince.

Ruby took a steady breath, but pulled her flight goggles down over her eyes and vaulted onto Rosy, who pranced eagerly in place. “Ready.”

Yang tugged one last time on Bee’s tack, then followed. “As we’ll ever be.”

With a sharp whistle Shadow wheeled away and quickly got up to speed, long slender wings lifting her into the air with all the grace of her willowy frame. Ruby was up next, Rosy slightly less graceful but no less powerful.

“Alright girl, take it nice and easy.” Yang pressed down with one knee and Bee obediently turned, snorting and shaking her feather crest. A sharp whistle and the mare shifted into a trot, then a canter, then a full gallop. Take off from a flat surface wasn’t quite as thrilling as doing it from a cliffside in Yang’s opinion, but the swoop in her stomach and the thrill of flight weren’t lessened as Bee extended her wings – pumping once, twice, three times, before the prairie ground disappeared beneath her hooves. Yang felt Bee’s heavy breaths through her knees as the mare worked to gain altitude.

A warm wind from below pushed them gently skyward – a thermal, rising from the desert floor. Above, Shadow and Rosy circled, riding the same thermal.

First Shadow broke away, barely beating her long wings. Rosy came second, sliding into position on Shadow’s left flank. Then Yang took her place, feeling the shift in the air when she caught Rosy’s slipstream.

Ahead, the yawning mouth of the chasm grew closer and closer, and Yang felt Bee tense below her.

Removing one hand from the handle at the front of her saddle, Yang risked a scratch at Bee’s neck. Reassurance.

Way more suddenly than expected, the distant ground disappeared, leaving only blackness. Flying over the chasm felt like nothing Yang had ever experienced. There was a difference between flying when you knew there was something substantial below, not matter how far down, and flying when you know there is _nothing_ below.

She felt the difference in the air immediately. A sharp updraft buffeted her right flank, and Bee wobbled unsteadily. Ahead, Rosy beat her short wings hard and Shadow visibly dipped sharply.

The opposite side stretched closer and closer. So close Yang could practically reach out and touch it…

Wind slammed into her side like a wall of solid rock, and Bee’s wing crumpled with the force of it. Yang felt herself wrenched from the saddle like the wind was a giant hand plucking her out of her seat, and for a moment the world seemed to freeze, suspended freely in the air.

Then time sped back up, and without really registering how she got there Yang found herself dangling free, clinging with one hand onto the handle of Bee’s saddle and hanging over her shoulder.

Panic crawled up into her throat and her frantic curse died there. Bee squealed loudly in alarm, right side tilting dangerously with Yang’s unbalanced weight.

“YANG!” Ruby’s scream sounded distant and Blake’s answering shout was lost to the roaring in her ears. Yang clung tight to her only lifeline, the braided leather handle on the horn of her saddle – leather that at the moment felt far too thin.

Somewhere in the clanging panic in her head instinct kicked in, and she whistled a three note tune – a signal for Bee to bank left. Obediently the mare turned – far from her usual smooth flight but it was enough for Yang to get the leverage to pull herself higher up on Bee’s back.

Her legs still kicked into open air and – going completely against everything her father ever taught her – she looked down.

The yawning black of the crevasse looked way closer than it had before. Ice froze in her veins, and her voice returned with a vengeance.

“FUCK.”

Bee’s dark wing buffeted her side, the wind and her own blood roared in her ears. Using the edge of Bee’s wing for leverage, Yang attempted to hook her elbow over the joint and haul herself back into the saddle.

She made it partway, but another strong gust slammed into their underside, causing Bee to jerk in an attempt to course correct. Yang’s chin slammed into hard muscle, rattling her skull.

“Fuck fuck shit shit...” A steady stream of curses flew from her mouth and Yang chanced a glance down again.

But instead of a yawning maw of certain death, there was Blake. Shadow keeping steady even in the murderous winds, Blake made a serious of rapid hand gestures, Yang’s mind automatically translating.

KEEP GOING

LAND AHEAD

HOLD ON

The other side of the crevasse rapidly approached, and acting quickly, Yang whistled again. Two notes, one high one low - the signal to land.

Bee snorted and straightened out as best she could, heading straight for the cliffside. Yang hooked her elbow again over the peg’s wing joint, and clung on for dear life.

Bee’s hooves made landfall hard, skidding and stumbling in the dirt. Yang wrenched her too tight grip free and rolled on impact, avoiding the peg’s flailing hooves.

Yang lay dazed on her back, staring up at a near cloudless sky before her view disappeared behind watery gray eyes and a red scarf.

“YANG!” Ruby threw herself on top of Yang’s prone form. “SHIT ARE YOU ALRIGHT THAT WAS CRAZYITHOUGHTYOUDIEDAND -”

Yang forced herself to sit up and return Ruby’s embrace, too out of breath to scold her for swearing. “Y-yeah, I’m alright.”

Blake stepped into view, bracing her hands on her knees and breathing hard. “Good instincts – _huff_ – to bank left like that.”

“Y-yeah.” Yang blinked, staring at the crevasse before her and struggling to come to terms with the fact that she’d almost died.

A familiar huffing in her hair made her look up to see Bee, dusty and ruffled but no worse for wear frantically sniffing and nickering low in her throat.

Yang reached up to grab hold of Bee’s halter and pulled herself up (Ruby still hugging tight). “I’m okay girl, you did good.”

Bee snorted, shaking dust from her crest, as if to disagree. Yang patted her neck.

Blake blew out a breath and straightened. “We should get going. There’s an inn not far from here – if we don’t stop for a meal we should make it by nightfall.” She eyed the sky with an edge of nervousness – Yang and Ruby decided not to argue with her.

As Yang mounted Bee again, she tried not to show how much her hands were shaking.


End file.
